Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 73: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE OLD ROCKS. This was the outside vessel. Having kept a mental calculation of the distance run, Red Alec judged soon after passing the last that he was far enough to keep off, and run out of the channel. Five minutes from the time that his cables were cut they were safe in the open sea. . At the wheel, with eyes blazing, Red Alec expressed himself to the Banshee as a mad rider to a restless mare. ‘““‘Ye may have tasted blood afore, ye pretty witch, but ye’ve got a hand upon yer wheel at last that “Il spoil yer tricks and break yer wildness, Ye gave us a devil’s own start to-night. But by the leapin’ lightning before we’re through, We'll break ye, and bring ye back to port like some old hag that’s clean forgot her wicked day.” The way that Red Alec handled the Ban- shee through the Strait-of Canso would have brought consternation to any other crew. But his own never felt safer than when this lov ely devil of a skipper started to fight the sea in earnest. With utmost bravado he piled on the can- vas, and every time he jibbed, it was with a sudden viciousness that nigh cracked the sticks out of his vessel. ** Leave it to Red Alec to tone down this witch,” laughed the mate. Little Roary, the cook, was the only one who could not respond to the intoxicating moment. At the end of the one of the skip- per’s wild and crazy outbursts, he broke in: “‘ T’ll say, Red Alec, ye’re the greatest ship- handler that ever came frae Judique. There’s none could ever show ye the look of his heels at sea. There’s none could brave a storm more bold than ye. But for aye that you’re only one weak man, and this time I dinna ken what ’ll come 0’ our uncanny voyage. It’s an uncanny day, an uncanny ship, and now, God save us, we’re awa’ with an uncanny start. Wae’s me, I’m afeared as Jean of the Mist has said, that it 711 be a new boat and the old rocks.” This lament of Little Roary brought to the crew new dread. But Red Alec would suffer no such words. = “Be damned to ye, Little Roary, fer your auld wimmen notions! In all our smuggling days we never made a luckier Start.” BAS As Chedabucto Bay opened oul. ——- them the skipper bellowed: ‘“ Git the stays’l on her.” Soon the Banshee was carving her way in _ living fire through the black night. Every man aboard that smuggling ship worshipped speed as a goddess. This then was the ap- peal that could not be withstood. All the rest of that outward voyane’ seemed to prove Red Alec’s word of a lucky start. shee, which disappeared so mysteriously from the Harbor of Judique, was sighted riding on the edge of a gale off the loom of Gallantry Head. Shortly after she berthed safely in the Harbor of St. Pierre. In the French Treaty Port the smuggling schooner loaded by night at the wharf of the leading wholesale liquor dealer. The cargo included casks of Demerara rum, hogsheads of port wine, cases of champagne, casks of Jamaica rum, boxes of Havana cigars, pounds of smoking tobacco in Eee, and French cut tobacco. For these luxuriés Red Alec paid in Sold four thousand four hundred and forty-four On this order the Canadian import dollars. duty would be seven thousand five hundred and fifty dollars, making the cargo worth eleven thousand dollars landed at the smug gling station on the outer isiand of Judique. ‘The bulk of this profit if realized would be due to Charles MacLehose, owner of the ship. Red Alec was a Highlander turned to smuggling for the love of adventure, MacLehose, a Lowland Scot, for the love of gold. While they were still loading, one of Mac- Lehose’s scouts arrived with the warning — that a Secret Service agent had spotted the Banshee and guessed her mission. This meant a warning by cable to the cruiser at Sydney. On account of this Red Alec put to sea that very night. Although the storm sig- nals were flying he pushed his nose out be- yond the guardian capes and boldly faced the bitter ocean. Head winds, boarding s seas, driving bliz-- zards, and bitior cold were their portion as— they beat across the gulf. Time and again the skipper was forced to drive his crew te sheer exhaustion, fighting with ice mal- In remarkably short time the Ban-- EOomichbooks.co: in